Report on Energy and Conservation

The AOC's practices in the design, construction, maintenance and preservation of our nation's cultural assets epitomize sustainable development. We believe that sustainable buildings can be maintained indefinitely and represent the potential for significant resource conservation. The AOC focuses on energy conservation, which saves utility funding, allowing savings to be reinvested into our buildings and infrastructure. The AOC has used energy performance contracting and energy savings over the past twelve years to fund more than $200 million in building and infrastructure energy improvements. These investments have resulted in reduced long-term energy demand and reduced greenhouse gas emissions across Capitol Hill.

Over the last fifteen years the AOC has reduced its energy intensity level by more than 50 percent. As a result of these energy savings, the U.S. House of Representatives building-related carbon footprint has been reduced by 48 percent. The AOC uses Department of Energy (DOE) calculations and tools to validate and track these energy intensity and greenhouse gas emission reductions. These energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions were made possible because of significant project funding support and performance contracting approval from numerous groups including the House Committee on Appropriations.

The AOC focuses and carries out its sustainability and energy conservation efforts through three primary channels: Buildings and Landscapes, Infrastructure and People.

Read the full 2021 Report on Energy and Conservation (PDF).